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January 27
1800s *1888 - The Brooklyn Bridegrooms keeps five players of the recently purchased New York Metropolitans franchise and sells the rest of the squad and four Brooklyn players to the Kansas City Cowboys for $7,000. 1900s-1940s *1909 - Catcher Lou Criger sends a telegram to the Boston Red Sox fans expressing his regrets on being traded to the St. Louis Browns. *1927: **Citing accuser Dutch Leonard's refusal to appear at the hearings of January 5, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis issues a lengthy decision clearing Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker of any game-fixing charges. Landis orders the Philadelphia Athletics to reinstate Cobb and the Washington Senators to restore Speaker. Both are then made free agents. Philadelphia owner Connie Mack will sign Cobb on February 8, and Speaker will sign with Washington on January 31 for a reported $35,000. **The Cleveland Indians has already chosen Jack McAllister as their new manager. *1933 - Washington Senators first baseman Joe Judge is released and will later sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers. *1937 - In Cincinnati, the worst flood in the city's history inundates Crosley Field, covering home plate with as much as 21 feet of cold water. The lower grandstand is completely covered. Reds pitchers Gene Schott and Lee Grissom row a boat out from the center field wall and the resulting photo appears across the country. Fortunately, with the season two months away, Opening Day will be unaffected. ([http://www.enquirer.com/flood_of_97/history4.html Photos]) *1943 - The Chicago Cubs acquire veteran pitcher Paul Derringer from the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations. A four-time 20-game winner, Derringer will win 10 games as a starter and reliever in 1943. *1944 - The Boston Braves fire manager Casey Stengel, who becomes the victim of an ownership change when Lou Perini, Guido Rugo, and Joseph Maney takes control of the team. Five years later, the New York Yankees will hire Stengel as their manager. The “Old Professor” will guide the Yankees to five straight championships from 1949 to 1953. *1949 - Fred Saigh buys out the interest of Robert Hannegan and now controls 90 percent of the St. Louis Cardinals stock. Saigh and Hannegan had swung the deal in 1947 with only $60,300 in cash in a $4 million deal. Hannegan came out with $866,000 profit in two years. 1950s-1960s *1953 - In another deal that GM Frank Lane pulls over the protests of Paul Richards, the Chicago White Sox send slugging first baseman Eddie Robinson along with outfielder Ed McGhee and shortstop Joe DeMaestri to the Philadelphia Athletics for two-time batting champ Ferris Fain and other player. *1956 - The New York Giants football team switches its home games to Yankee Stadium, leading to speculation that the baseball team will soon vacate the Polo Grounds as well. *1963 - John Clarkson, Elmer Flick, Sam Rice and Eppa Rixey are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Rixey will die before the induction ceremonies that summer, marking the first time that a Hall of Famer passes away between the time of election and induction. *1966: **Wisconsin State Circuit Court Judge Elmer W. Roller rules that the Braves must stay in Milwaukee or else the National League must promise Wisconsin an expansion team for the 1966 season. **Judge Robert Cannon of Wisconsin is named a full-time administrator of the Players' Association at a $50,000 salary. 1970s-1980s *1977 - Boston sports writers honor Luis Tiant as the Red Sox most valuable pitcher. This is the fifth year in a row that Tiant has won this honor, a record for the award begun in 1952. *1982 - The Chicago Cubs make one of their best trades in franchise history, acquiring infielders Ryne Sandberg and Larry Bowa from the Philadelphia Phillies for shortstop Iván DeJesús. Bowa and DeJesús will have a few more productive seasons in the major leagues, but Sandberg, after starting out his career at third base, will become one of the best-hitting second baseman of all time. A nine-consecutive Gold Glove Award winner (1983-91), in 1984 Sandberg will lead the Cubs to their first appearance in the postseason since 1945. 1990s *1993 - The Kansas City Royals sign free agents outfielder Hubie Brooks and pitcher Frank DiPino. *1999 - Free agent pitcher Jim Abbott is signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, and the St. Louis Cardinals sign free agent second baseman Carlos Baerga. *1997 - The Boston Red Sox send designated hitter José Canseco and cash to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for pitcher John Wasdin. *1999 - Free agent pitcher Jim Abbott is signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, and the St. Louis Cardinals signs free agent second baseman Carlos Baerga. 2000s *2000 - The Cleveland Indians sign free agent pitcher Scott Sanders after his agent had spurned a multi-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. *2005 - All-Star outfielder Lance Berkman avoids arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Houston Astros. Berkman, who was named National League MVP after hitting .316 with 30 home runs and 106 RBI in 2004, suffered a serious off-season knee injury (anterior cruciate ligament tear) playing flag football. *2006: **The World Baseball Classic set its pitch limits and mercy rules, designed to protect pitchers in the early stages of spring training and cut short one-sided games. **Gil Meche agreed Thursday to a $3.7 million, one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners and avoided salary arbitration. **Louis Sockalexis, the Penobscot Indian who played for the Cleveland Spiders, should have his title restored as first Native American to play in the major leagues, according to Ed Rice, the author of a book about Sockalexis. ** Births *1885 - Gil Hatfield, outfielder (d. 1921) *1896 - Milt Gaston, pitcher (d. 1996) *1889 - Bibb Falk, outfielder (d. 1989) *1901 - Fred Heimach, pitcher (d. 1973) *1947 - John Lowenstein, outfielder *1948 - Tom Trebelhorn, manager *1968 - Eric Wedge, manager *1968 - Rusty Meacham, pitcher *1968 - Eric Wedge, manager *1969 - Phil Plantier, outfielder *1971 - Ken Huckaby, catcher *1978 - Angel Berroa, infielder *1978 - Pete LaForest, catcher *1983 - Gavin Floyd, pitcher Deaths *1953 - Merv Shea, catcher (b. 1900) *1962 - Jim Shaw, pitcher (b. 1893) *1962 - Joe Vosmik, All-Star pitcher (b. 1910) *1978 - Sarge Connally, pitcher (b. 1898) *1978 - Monte Pearson, All-Star pitcher (b. 1908) *1991 - Dale Long, All-Star infielder (b. 1963)